Teachers in the soup for burning appraisal materials
Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Wilson Sossion speaks to reporters about teachers' welfare last month. He has rejected the appraisal policy. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Knut Secretary-General Sossion and National Treasurer John Matiang’i are accused of instigating the incident.
- Knut had planned a strike last month, but suspended it after a meeting with the TSC.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will punish teachers in Nyamira County who participated in the burning of appraisal materials last week.
Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Wilson Sossion and National Treasurer John Matiang’i are accused of instigating the incident.
TSC’s head of communication Kihumba Kamotho on Sunday said: "TSC will ensure that the teachers are brought to book and made to take professional and criminal responsibility for their action."
"The Commission takes great exception to such disgraceful action, especially when it is instigated and supported by an honourable member of Parliament who is also a state officer. Such an act of dishonour is certainly inconsistent with the tenets of the teaching profession," the statement added.
NEGOTIATIONS
The union officials also asked teachers not to fill in the forms until the issue is resolved in a meeting between TSC and Knut scheduled to take place from September 30 to October 5.
But Mr Kamotho said teachers can only take directives from their employer, who is represented by county and sub-county directors.
"Any purported directive relating to performance of teaching and administrative duties by union officials, including Mr Sossion, is not only illegal and misguided but downright pretentious. Teachers are advised to ignore such directives in the interest of their employment contract with TSC," the statement said.
STRIKE
The union has protested against the delocalisation and appraisal policies.
Last month, Knut planned a strike if the policies are not abolished. But after a meeting with the TSC, the strike was suspended to allow for talks.
Assistant Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said: "If the TSC does not listen to us on August 21, we shall say enough is enough and down our tools come September 1. We will not open schools.
"We love industrial peace but TSC has remained adamant and bitter with the same teachers it has employed," Mr Oyuu said during their annual general meeting in Mombasa on Saturday.
